Are We There Yet? Planning a Family Vacation?

"I'm Bored"

It's hard to expect children to sit in a small confined space for a long period of time.

Movies
Many parents have found that having a DVD player in the car is a lifesaver. Most libraries will checkout movies, at no cost, for one to two week periods and if you plan in advance, you can reserve the movies you might have missed at the cinemas.

A fun idea to prevent siblings from fighting over which movie to watch first is to wrap each DVD in wrapping paper. Choose a child or go in order from oldest to youngest to pick a wrapped DVD. Make it clear before hand that the movie chosen is the movie the group will watch first.

Listening to audio books is another great way to pass the time. Harry Potter or The Chronicles of Narnia may be too difficult for your child to read, but listening to books on tape will still expand their imagination and it’s something the whole family can enjoy!

Bag It
Children love to have new backpacks, duffle bags, or travel sacks. Choose one that they can carry themselves and that is small enough to keep by their side in the car.

Fill it with new books, playing cards, magnetic games, activities, and music they can listen to. If they have a favorite blanket or stuffed animal, include that as well. It will give them a sense of security and familiar feeling of home, particularly when they are trying to go to sleep in a strange place.

Just be sure to remember it every time you pack up and change locations!

Stock Up
Dollar stores are great places to stock-up on necessities when traveling with children.They carry everything from pencils and crayons to the plastic boxes to keep them all in.

They also carry inexpensive toys, stuffed animals, and seasonal items.

These are great little surprises to give as a reward for good behavior. Don’t forget to stock-up on plenty of napkins, wet wipes, and garbage bags while you’re at the dollar store and place them in easy to reach spots throughout your car!